Wire-grid polarizers (WGPs or WGP for singular) can be used to divide light into two different polarization states. One polarization state can mostly pass through the WGP and the other can be mostly absorbed or reflected. The effectiveness or performance of WGPs is based on a high percent transmission of one polarization and minimal transmission of an opposite polarization. A percent transmission of the primarily-transmitted polarization divided by a percent transmission of the opposite polarization is called contrast. It can be difficult to manufacture WGPs that provide sufficiently-high contrast. High contrast can sometimes be obtained by reducing the pitch of the wires/ribs, but doing so can be a difficult manufacturing challenge, especially for smaller wavelengths. It would be beneficial to find a way to improve WGP performance by some way other than a reduction in pitch.